


Team Miraculous 2021:  Season 1

by Blade_Squall



Series: Team Miraculous Universe/Disney Hero-Verse [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Past Lives, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, Downplayed Love Square, Hawk Moth is NOT Happy About Competition, Hero Captain Hardrock, Marinette's Parents Know She's Ladybug, Miraculous Ladybug Reboot, Multi, Original Villains, Pharaoh is One of the Big Bads, Protective Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug), They Find Out in the First Chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 08:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27967850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blade_Squall/pseuds/Blade_Squall
Summary: TL;DR:  This is just a reboot of the Miraculous Ladybug universe, and quite possibly the beginning of a shared universe.In an alternate version of the Miraculous Universe, Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste didn't have to deal with just Hawk Moth and his villainy.  Nope, they have a whole set of rogues ready for these two high-schoolers!  It's up to the newest inheritor of the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses to save not just Paris, but quite possibly the world from the schemes of an ancient enemy of Marinette's past lives....And who knows?  We may run into other characters, along the way.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Chloé Bourgeois, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Plagg, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Chloé Bourgeois & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Chloé Bourgeois & Sabrina Raincomprix, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Tikki, Sabine Cheng & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Tom Dupain
Series: Team Miraculous Universe/Disney Hero-Verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057817
Kudos: 1





	Team Miraculous 2021:  Season 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've... no idea why I decided to do this. I mean, I know the series is still going, but I wanted to give it the good old "DC-Comics/Marvel" treatment. After all, if their stories can get rebooted multiple times and people still watch/read, why not Miraculous Ladybug? Anyway, just humor me for a chapter or two, because well... I wanted to try something different.
> 
> Now, something you should probably know going in: while yes, Hawk Moth will ALWAYS be a threat to Paris and the Miraculous-users, he isn't the only major supervillain in this series (and not every villain will be an Akuma). The reason I did something like this? Well, one, to spice up the pool for this reboot fic. Because the verse, as of the New York special, establishes that there are actual supervillains besides Hawk Moth in the world, I feel villains like that need to be explored. Enter our first villain in this story... yeah, I know, Stoneheart was the first Akuma, but you'll get your Hawk Moth sooner or later. Anyway, let's get started with Part 1 of our origin story episode.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING IS A FANFICTION. MIRACULOUS LADYBUG IS OWNED BY ZAGTOON, METHOD ANIMATION, TOEI ANIMATION, SAMG ANIMATION, DISNEY STUDIOS, & THOMAS ASTRUC. ANY PERSONS OR EVENTS THAT RESEMBLE REAL PEOPLE LIVING OR DEAD OR REAL-WORLD EVENTS ARE PURELY COINCIDENTAL. PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE. THIS DISCLAIMER GOES FOR ALL CHAPTERS.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette Dupain-Cheng is an incredibly unlucky 14-year-old half-Chinese, quarter-Italian baker's daughter living in Paris, France with dreams of being a fashion designer. On her way to her new school of Dupont, she stumbles from helping an old man get out of the way of traffic and straight into a superhero battle! Oh, and she's lost her portfolio! With her childhood friends and her new friend Alya, she goes to fix it, only for her family to discover an odd Chinese box in her room and the supervillain from earlier wanting revenge for being interrupted...

_‘Paris, France, is considered by millions to be the city of romance, and one of the most beautiful places in the world. With a population of over 2 million people, several historical landmarks, and several iconic industries of fashion, music, food, and arts, a day in Paris is never boring. How do I know this? Well, simple: I live here! Have done so for 14 years, born and raised. Though I’m half-Chinese on Maman’s side. My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng—’_

**_KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_ **

“Marinette,” an older, female voice interjected in the middle of the teenage girl’s monologue, making her look up from her design program. “Are you done getting ready? You don’t want to be late on your first day of school, do you?”

Marinette’s eyes widened in horror. _‘And I’m already running late for my new school!’_ Marinette saved her digital design and then turned off her computer, before looking around her sketchbook, finding it poking out from under her bed, and threw it into her pink backpack, as well as a pink and white lotus flower-adorned folder labeled “Portfolio de Marinette Dupain-Cheng”. She quickly threw open her closet, spotting past all of the old private school uniforms she’d never wear again, a gray blazer that would go well with her white shirt with the floral pattern and pink jeans. Throwing it on, she grabbed her ballet flats, frantically pulling the shoes on as well. She then frantically headed towards the hatch that led into her attic bedroom, and pulled it open, letting the ladder unfold.

At the bottom of the ladder was a tall, thickly built French man looking at his watch while his Chinese wife looked concerned at him. “Trois, duo, un….” He then extended his hands as Marinette screamed and tripped, and caught his daughter bridal style before she could hit the ground. With a chuckle, he greeted, “Good morning, mon petite lotus!”

“Papa…” Marinette cutely pouted before being put down. Her mother quickly went behind her and tied her shoulder-length hair into a pair of pigtails. "Good morning, papa and maman."

“You don’t have to have your room in the attic, sweetheart,” Tom Dupain said while Marinette checked to see if her backpack spilled anything. When she didn’t see anything on the ground, he said, “So… ready to finally go back to public education?” Marinette looked down at that remark.

“...Ready as I’ll ever be,” Marinette whispered. Tom looked at his wife Sabine Cheng with some mild concern.

“Oh, dear,” Sabine said, stepping forward to hug her daughter. “Marinette, maybe you’ll be lucky. Maybe Chloé and Sabrina won’t be in your class, and you won't have to deal with them very much.”

“...Yeah, Maman,” Marinette hoped as the family entered the main shop area. The Dupain-Cheng family lived in and owned a three-story bakery, the two upper levels being reserved for them alone, guests after-hours (or when Marinette had to babysit), and offered a view of several sights in the city. The bottom part of the shop was the face of the bakery, and where Tom and Sabine spent most of their time during business hours.

**_RING! RING!_ **

“Oh no!” Marinette gasped, looking at her cell phone. “Sorry, Maman and Papa! I’ve got to hurry!”

“No time for breakfast?” Tom asked.

Marinette’s stomach grumbled. “I’m afraid not,” she whimpered. _‘Had to spend a last-minute all-nighter working on your entrance portfolio, didn’t you, Marinette?’_

“Well, that’s why we came prepared,” Sabine said, holding up a to-go plate of a croissant and a pudding cup in one hand, and a hot thermos of coffee in the other.

“Oh, and don’t forget the macarons we made last night,” Tom added, pointing to a black box on the shelf that was labeled, _“Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Passtiere.” _ “Might make a good first impression with your classmates.”

“Thank you, Papa and Maman!” Marinette smiled at them both, placing the macarons in her bag. “Au revoir! Zàijiàn!” The two kissed her on her cheeks, and she quickly grabbed a croissant from the tray and placed it into her mouth, waving as she ran out with her helmet in hand. Seconds later, a helmeted Marinette ran back to the front of the bakery, and flipped the sign from “Désolé, nous sommes fermés” to “Entrez, nous sommes ouverts”.

* * *

**Episode 1: “Spots On”**

* * *

Marinette quickly threw her breakfast tray in the basket of her bicycle, attached the thermos to the bottle holder, and sped off. While thankfully not too far from her bakery that she had to take public transportation, her new school, Collège Françoise Dupont was still quite the distance. This gave Marinette time to take in the sights of her home.

 _‘I love this city,’_ Marinette smiled, looking up at the Eiffel Tower as she stopped at a red light and waited for the crossing light to turn so she could keep riding the sidewalk. She briefly took a moment to look around, quickly sketching something in her sketchbook that caught her eye: a woman walking her poodle. She imagined the poodle wearing a fancy hat, and its owner wearing an elegant two-piece dress. _‘It’s beauty, it’s history, it’s culture… what’s not to love about Paris?’_ Her eyes briefly lingered on a news report featuring her neighbor, Nadja Chamack, reporting about some sort of robbery. _‘Another robbery? That’s the third one this week,’_ she mused. _‘Hopefully, the bakery won’t get caught up in the string….’_

She then spotted a boutique with several designs, including a picture of fashion mogul, Gabriel Agreste, the reclusive CEO of _Gabriel,_ in the window _._ There was another picture of Audrey Bourgeois, his major competitor, as well. _‘One day,’_ Marinette promised herself, _‘my face will be at the forefront of fashion like you, M. Agreste and Mme. Bourgeois… if I can survive art school, that is.’_

Despite her parents wanting her to one day inherit the bakery, Marinette’s true lifetime goal was making it in the fashion industry. That’s why she wanted to go to Dupont: it was considered one of the primary art middle schools in France. Several major players in French arts, whether it was fashion, modeling, design, music, dance, or something else credited Dupont as the starting point of their career. Marinette, despite her social awkwardness, felt it was the perfect place to begin her own career in the business.

However, it was because of that social awkwardness that she had a huge problem: the number of people she personally knew were going to attend Dupont could be counted on one hand. And the people who LIKED her could be half of that. It was barely a foot in the door into the fashion industry, because her childhood friend Nino Laffine wanted to go into music, Aurore Beauréal wanted to go into television reporting, and Alix Kubdel was more of a performer with her skating and was great at history. There was maybe Juleka Couffaine (who was rumored to be, despite her own cursed luck, wanted to be a model), but it was barely in passing that the two knew each other. Same with Rose Lavillant, who was planning on getting into music. And there was no telling if any of them would be in her class, either.

 _‘...Maybe I’ll find new friends,’_ Marinette hoped, looking at her backpack. Her father was right: the easiest way to make friends would be sharing something sweet, like macarons, perhaps. She then turned to the street, seeing that she had been thinking so long, the crosswalk already started counting down before it signaled traffic to move on. She pouted. _‘Nice going, Clumsinette,’_ she chastised herself, _‘had to take the scenic route, did you?’_

Before she could complain too much at having to wait another two-to-four minutes before she could reach the other side of the street, she saw an old Chinese man wearing a red shirt with white lotus flowers, white pants, and a jade, turtle-like bracelet in the crosswalk, limping far too slowly with his cane. Marinette spotted the time on the crosswalk almost gone, and a speeding car with several Euro bills spilling into the air from it turning around the corner heading for the intersection… followed by police sirens blaring!? Well, that was something.

Marinette quickly recalled the news report, and realized that it must have been the robbers that have been plaguing Paris for the past week, and realized they must have gotten bolder, robbing banks in the middle of the morning. And they were about to add vehicular manslaughter to their list of crimes if someone didn’t do something!

 _‘...If I don’t do something,’_ Marinette realized, dismounting her bike. The world slowed down as she quickly used her naturally heightened sense of observation and ran numbers through her head. She calculated just the right angle for her move, and even an additional step just-in-case (her brain had run on some seriously negative thoughts for so long it just defaulted to worst-case scenario... not something she was proud of, but her bad luck justified it). With her improvised plan set, she then ran into the street, ignoring the ticking of the time, and grabbed her helmet, unhooking it, and throwing it towards the speeding car. The driver, desperate to avoid a cracked windshield or flat tire, swerved towards the opposite side of the street that the shocked old man and now Marinette were on, and spun their getaway vehicle. Marinette, thinking it wasn’t going to be enough, got in front of the old man and grabbed him, turning her back and braced herself….

**_CRUNCH! CRASH!_ **

The back-breaking pain never came. The girl opened her eyes, panting as the adrenaline died down, and turned from the startled man to see the car had crashed into the crosswalk post… and crushed her bicycle, destroying her coffee thermos and what was left of her breakfast, much to her displeasure. But at least she and the old man were okay.

 _‘So much for breakfast,’_ Marinette still complained. _'And my bike....'_

**_CLICK-CLICK._ **

_‘...And possibly the rest of my life,’_ she added, looking at the horse-masked driver and the other occupants getting out of the vehicle, all wearing various animal masks save for one, but all carrying guns and duffel bags filled with money. This was the first time Marinette saw a gun being pointed at her and naturally froze up.

The one person who didn’t wear an animal mask wore plenty of silver make-up, making it hard to tell what her true face looked like. But there was no way those silver eyes could be real, and she was dressed in a gaudy metallic two-piece dress that had several spikes and a hoop skirt. She had a large rifle in her hands. “So, a little girl wanted to play ‘hero’ today,” she observed with a British accent. “Too bad she didn’t realize… heroes tend to get crushed in the grip of the Iron Maiden. Ask Captain Hardrock about her husband… if you could find her.”

“Um, boss,” a parrot-masked person commented, “Hardrock’s still alive somewhere―”

“I know that, she didn't look like she did,” Iron Maiden scowled before turning to Marinette, leveling her hi-tech rifle at the petite girl. “And you just caused my boys to wreck a perfectly good getaway car. What do you have to say for yourself, sweetheart?”

“Um… well, I-I-I…. I wanted to help this old man….” Marinette stuttered, turning towards the old man… who was no longer there. “Huh!?” _‘Where did he go!?’_

“Ooh, how unfortunate,” Iron Maiden cooed. “You risked your life to save him, and what do you get in return? He abandons you to face little old me. How ungrateful of him….” She then, in a surprisingly sickening moment to Marinette, smiled, and laughed, “It looks like you’re dying for nothing~” The rifle then began charging, sparking with electricity. and said, “On the plus side, I get to finally test out how this new rail gun I ‘borrowed’ from Techno Pirate works!”

Marinette saw the rifle’s barrel crackle with the plasma energy, and closed her eyes, screaming in fear….

**_BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_ **

Marinette didn’t feel the heat of the laser tearing through her, despite hearing it hit something. _‘...Am I dead?’_ she asked, too afraid to open her eyes for a minute. However, despite it being against her better judgment, her curiosity won out, and she peeked to see a man in green holding a glowing shield, absorbing the power of the laser. When the beam faded, the man flicked his shield down, it smoking but otherwise unscratched, revealing a turtle shell-like appearance. He then quickly threw the shield, knocking the laser rifle from Iron Maiden’s hands, and knocking into the wolf-masked henchman, then the parrot-masked man, then the horse-masked henchman, and then knocked into Iron Maiden, who didn’t even flinch, before being caught by the green masked man, and placed atop of his head as it a straw hat.

Marinette wasn't really the type of person who would call herself a big "comic fan" or really knowledgeable about too many movies. She always claimed, much to the disappointment of the few friends she had, that she was too busy, too career-focused right now, to find time to come to hang out for movie night, and she was a jinx. She was a darn good gamer, though, having played more than enough that she couldn't deny what she was witnessing in front of her.

 _‘...A superhero…!?’_ Marinette asked, finally registering that she had, in the panic, fell to her knees, and shakily stood up. _‘And if that’s the case… is she some kind of supervillain…!?’_

“Well, aren’t you the surprise,” Iron Maiden said, looking at her skin where the shield hit her. Not even a wound. “Too bad you can’t hurt little old me, though. So, lean green, what brings you to this part of Paris? Sightseeing? Fashion week? No, it’s a little too early for the latter. Perhaps the Lorvue?”

“What happens next is up to you,” the jade-clad man finally spoke to Iron Maiden.

“...Oh, you’re a boring one,” Iron Maiden frowned. “Not a quipper that I'm used to. You lay low for a few years, try to make a jolly comeback with a big crime spree, and the first superhero you meet turns out to be some old fart who lost their funny bone and his easily timid sidekick.” Marinette shrunk at being called out.

“You have a choice: turn yourself in and live, or face me, and find out what I can do when pressed.”

Marinette watched the tense stand-off, wondering who would make the first move. She barely remembered to breathe. 

**_WEEE-WHOO! WHEEEE-WHOOO!_ **

“I choose ‘run’ for now,” Iron Maiden answered, seeing the police coming. “Only because they’ll get in the way.” She then turned into her men, who got up rubbing their wounds, and ordered, “Run, boys! We’ll take care of this geezer proper later! Right now, to the hideout!” She then punched the ground, actually causing it to shake, but the jade man held his ground while Marinette lost her footing again. By the time she could stand, Iron Maiden had ran off.

 _‘Oh no, she got away!’_ Marinette thought to herself. She then looked at the jade hero, who had turned to her, and was walking towards her. _‘Oh no, he’s looking at me! Did I do something wrong? Or is he actually a supervillain who wanted me for himself!? Or is this all a dying dream and I was actually lasered!?’_

“Are you alright?” he asked her, offering a hand.

“...Um… yes…?” Marinette asked, taking it and standing up. “Um… Merci beaucoup de m'avoir sauvé!” she added with a bow. She pulled out her box of macarons, and opened it, revealing the treats. “Please, have one!” The jade-clad man raised an eyebrow, but still ate one of the macarons. _‘One less treat to share, but… hey, he’s not a bad guy.’_

It was at this point that the police pulled up. One of the officers, a redheaded, slightly chubby, clean-shaven man got out of his car with a megaphone. Marinette recognized him immediately.

_‘Isn’t that… Lieutenant Raincomprix! ...Sabrina’s father… which means Chloé’s dad still has him on a leash….’_

“Freeze, M. Turtle!” he called through the megaphone. “On behalf of the Parisian Police Department, you are under arrest! Keep your hands where I can see them, and drop your weapon!”

“It seems that they don’t appreciate Miraculous-users here,” the jade-clad man muttered to himself, slowly raising his hands.

“Wait!” Marinette breathed, waving her hands as she stepped in front of him. “Lieutenant Raincomprix, please! H-H-He saved me! I’d be dead if not for him!”

“...Dupain-Cheng?” Roger Raincomprix questioned. “What are you doing here?”

“I… um… well, I was going to school, when I saw this old man crossing the street, and then that car with that supervillain came speeding down, so I threw my helmet, and they crashed, but I saved the old man… and then the supervillain tried to kill me, and now, he’s here!” She turned towards the jade man… only to see there was no jade-covered man. “...Huh!?”

* * *

Several minutes later, Marinette was sitting in the back of a police squad car, with Roger driving while looking at her in his rear-view mirror. _‘This has to be the most embarrassing situation I could have been in,’_ Marinette whined.

Roger, after a while, broke the ice. “So... you’re going to Dupont with my daughter, now?”

“...Oui,” the shy half-Chinese girl answered. “W-w-well, I’m not sure if she’s going to be in my class, but….”

“I thought you were going to that private school,” Roger remembered. “That was a nasty falling-out you had with M. Mayor’s daughter, no?”

 _‘You can’t really call “being bullied by Chloé for years” a “falling out”,’_ Marinette moaned in her head. Aloud, she said, “Yes, it was.”

“Listen, Dupain-Cheng,” Roger said, “I normally would take you downtown for getting your statement about the incident, including everything we could to arrest both that makeup clad thief and the turtle vigilante. But your parents make some amazing pastries, and you've told me as much as we're going to get. So… can we work something out? I keep you out of the report for right now, and you pay me back later? Say a discount next time I’m buying something at _Tom & Sabine’s?” _

“I’ll work on it,” Marinette smiled in appreciation. As the car headed to the school, the jade-clad man watched from a rooftop. Making sure he wasn’t being watched by anyone, he smiled.

“Wayzz… **Shell Off,”** he said. The turtle armor magically vanished, and he showed himself to be the old man Marinette helped. He then pulled out a pair of boxes that had the Chinese Yin Yang symbols on them, with one side filled in on each while the other was faded. He held up the Yang symbol box and looked at the retreating police car. Meanwhile, a green, fairy-like turtle creature floated next to him.

“Master Fu,” the creature questioned, “did you find them at last? The next Ladybug and Black Cat?”

“...I think I did,” Fu answered.

* * *

Roger’s car pulled in front of Dupont at around 8:21 a.m. Marinette got out, her head lowered as she felt the stares of the students who were hanging out in front of the school with friends. A dark-skinned girl with glasses, a beauty mark on her forehead, and auburn shoulder-length hair wearing an orange-plaid shirt over a white undershirt and jeans was recording the entrance on her phone. _‘And thus beginneth my humiliation at Dupont,’_ Marinette moaned in her head. _‘How many teens come to an elite arts school in the back of a Jǐngchē on their first day?’_ Turning to Roger, she said, “Thank you for the ride, Lieutenant.”

“Have a good day, jeune femme,” Roger said, being professional, “and don’t let me catch you getting into any more trouble.” He then let her close the door before driving away.

“Okay,” a shorter-than-even-Marinette hat-clad pinkette skater girl commented to a glasses-wearing dark-skinned boy with a hat and clad in blue and red, a tall half-Korean boy, and a blonde girl clad in blue, “that has to be close enough. Pay up.”

“We don’t know if she was arrested, yet, Alix,” the half-Vietnamese boy grumbled, but still placed a snack on the table the four were sitting at. The other two students did so as well.

“I was really hoping today she’d be lucky and just overslept,” the blonde frowned in concern. As Marinette approached them, she commented, “Are you alright, Mari? You don’t need a lawyer, do you? I happen to know a few.”

“N-No, Aurore,” Marinette answered. “Just my bike being destroyed in what somehow turned into a superhero battle.” The phone-recording girl, heading into the school, froze at that comment and turned towards the table.

“…You’re pulling our legs, right?” the half-Vietnamese boy asked.

 _‘I wish I was,’_ Marinette frowned in her head. She then looked at the boy and pondered. _‘Wait, he’s new. I must really have been gone a while.’_

“Kim,” he introduced, realizing she probably had no clue who he was. “Lê Chién Kim. Nice to meet you, Dupain-Cheng. We had a group bet of how you’d make your entrance. Were you really arrested?”

“I just said the police would be involved,” Alix Kubdel replied.

“Wait, superhero?” the glasses-wearing boy asked, focusing on that part. “As in the once-famous Captain Hardrock? Is she back!?”

“…Who’s Captain Hardrock?” Marinette honestly asked.

“Wow, private school must have filtered a lot, dudette,” the boy said. “She’s an old antihero. But seeing as you’re not having hearing problems, it couldn’t have been her.”

“No, Nino, it wasn’t her,” Marinette answered.“Anyway, I brought macarons.” She then opened her backpack and showed the treats.

“Whoa, nice!” Kim cheered. He reached out to take a handful, but Alix quickly swatted his hand.

“One per person, Kim,” she chided, grabbing one for herself. “Sorry about him, Mari. Knowing Kim’s competitive spirit, he would have tried to see how many he could fit in his mouth.”

“He joined our little group of ‘outcasts’ back about a year ago,” Aurore answered, popping her macaron into her mouth. “So, please tell me you got assigned Mme. Mendeleiv! I don’t want to be alone, there.”

“…Mme. Bustier?” Marinette offered, looking at her schedule on her phone.

“Yes!” Nino, Alix, and even Kim all cheered.

“Aw,” Aurore pouted. “Not fair. I guess we’ll have to catch up at lunch, then.”

The warning bell rang, alerting the group. “If we don’t end up in la détention for being late, that is,” Alix said, standing up. “We’ll keep you updated, Aurore.” The group then went inside, unaware that they were being watched by the auburn camera girl.

A few prolonged minutes of walking, later, Marinette and the others sans Aurore stood outside of their new homeroom. _‘Alright, here we are,’_ Marinette breathed. _‘So, I had a bad general first impression. But maybe I’ll have an even better classroom first impression.’_ She reached for the door, then stopped. And then, her anxiety began. _‘Wait… the Clumsinette bad luck voodoo may still be working! What if I trip as soon as I step in? Or if I accidentally shocked myself on the door handle? Or what if Mme. Bustier is a strict teacher who hates me for no reason!? Or—’_

“Is this… normal?” Kim whispered, watching Marinette twitch as she played every possible horrible scenario in her head.

“Unfortunately,” Nino said, gently placing a hand on Marinette’s shoulder in an attempt to stop her panic attack.

“Let just get this over with,” Alix said, grabbing the door handle, and pulling it open. Inside was a typical French school classroom, with several rows of seats up a set of stairs with the teacher’s desk, currently unoccupied, and a massive whiteboard. Several students were already sitting in their seats, including a giant boy with a black skull shirt and blonde dyed tips, a short chubby girl with several different braids dyed in the colors of the rainbow, a red-headed boy drawing on his own sketchpad, a happily chatting blonde girl clad in pink, and a gothic dressed girl with one eye covered by her purple and black hair.

 _‘…Wow, so these are my new classmates,’_ Marinette awkwardly smiled as she walked in behind her group, opening her backpack to get her entrance portfolio out, quickly closing the bag as she did so. _‘And hey, Juleka’s here! Neat! Alright, maybe I can finally truly become friends with her. And the best part is so far, no—”_

**_WHAM!_ **

Marinette screamed as she fell forward, tripping over her own feet, followed by laughing that was all too familiar to the 14-year-old as well as sympathetic whimpers from some of the class.

“Aw, poor Clumsinette, still having bad luck after all these years,” a female voice giggled. “Ballet lessons must be slipping. I guess that's why you needed une escorte policière on your first day of collège public?”

“…Bounjour Chloé,” Marinette groaned, sitting up, rubbing her nose. She turned to the blonde mayor’s daughter with blue mascara, wearing a fashionable yellow sweater over her white and black striped shirt and white pants, flanked by a redheaded girl with a blue and purple checkered sweater over her white dress shirt and blue shorts with tights and glasses over her blue eyes. "Sabrina."

“Is it true Papa arrested you, but let you off with a warning?” the redhead asked. “What did you do?”

“Um, n-n-nothing, Sabrina,” Marinette answered. “I got c-caught up in an incident, and—”

“Have to say, whatever happened, you definitely upstaged the entrance I made,” Chloé smiled, leaning down and offering a hand. “I’m actually impressed, and I showed up in Daddy’s limo.” Marinette, confused, accepted the offer of a hand of perhaps friendship… only to be harshly yanked up into a hug and whispered in her ear, "In case you forgot, I don’t like being one-upped. You may have won the battle, but the war begins again.”

“…I…I d-d-didn’t mean to,” Marinette replied.

“It matters not,” Chloé scoffed. “No matter what happened between you running out of école primaire in tears and now, you will NEVER defeat me. And my designs this year will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt.” Sabrina pulled out a tablet from Chloé’s fashionable purse to show several high-end designs that called for materials Marinette could only DREAM of being able to use at her current level.

“It’s really good work, too,” Sabrina complimented, slipping something into her bag.

“You’re going into fashion design, too?” Marinette asked. _‘She looks like she’d easily get into modeling! Why design, of all areas!? Is it to spite me!?’_

“But of course,” Chloé answered. “Mama is a star fashion designer in New York City, and I’m going to follow her footsteps one day. I’ve long since dreamed of being the top designer in all of Paris, and someday building an empire until Chloé Bourgeois is running the industry the world over. And crushing your so-called ‘MDC Brand' before it even gets started… it’ll only be a footnote in my career. I’ll give you a semester before you decide to drop out, tops. If you even last that long. Or if you want mercy, you could submit now and hope I one day hire you to be my intern.”

_‘It partially IS to spite me!’_

Aloud, the blonde innocently boasted, “When I heard you, of all people, made it into Dupont, I knew I had to keep an eye on you since you’re so accident-prone. So, I begged Daddy to make sure you and I got in the same homeroom. After all, I like keeping my friends close….”

 _‘And your victims closer, I suppose,’_ Marinette finished with a whimper.

“Hey, are you girls done?” a female voice sassed from behind Chloé, making her look up. She then turned to see the dark-skinned girl who had her phone record Marinette’s police-escorted arrival. “Kind of want to find a seat before the bell rings and you’re blocking the good ones. Take the subtle _Mean Girls_ wannabe skit and shelf it.” She then brushed past the stunned Chloé and surprised Sabrina, grabbed Marinette by the back of her jacket, and began dragging her away from the two bullies and to a pair of good seats.

“Excuse me, we were in the middle of a conversation with an old friend!” Chloé called back.

**_DING-DONG, DING-DONG!_ **

“Well looks like it’s over,” Marinette’s savior answered.

 _‘Am I saved or was Chloé the frying pan and this new girl the fire?’_ Marinette asked herself before being unceremoniously plopped down into the seat next to the girl.

“Alya Céasire,” the girl whispered, looking at Marinette.

“Huh!?” Marinette stammered, cutting off her internal monologue. The girl next to her grinned.

“My name, girl,” she explained. “So… ‘Marinette Dupain-Cheng’, I presume?” Marinette blinked at that. Alya pulled up her phone, revealing she had the classroom roster on it. “You’re the only person in the class with the initials ‘MDC’, who will be a ‘footnote’ in Chloé’s Bourgeois’ apparent rise in the fashion world. My goal of being a journalist taught me how to read lips, listen very carefully, and get to the meat of the story. Still, any rival of the entitled rich kid can’t be too bad, right?”

It was at this moment, a red-haired woman in her mid-twenties walked in, seeing the still stunned Chloé and Sabrina standing there. She cleared her throats, getting the girls to stand at attention. “Mlle Bourgeois, Mlle Raincomprix, to your seats,” she ordered. The two nodded, surprised she knew their names without introductions and scrambled to a pair of open chairs. “Merci.” She then walked to her desk, and said, “Bonjour, students. I am Mme. Caline Bustier, and atop of being the primary literature teacher here at Dupont, I will be in charge of your homeroom. Any questions?” Several students raised theirs. “That isn't related to why we even have a literature department at a school that’s known for starting artistic careers?” The hands fell almost immediately. Bustier sighed but smiled. “Literature is just as much of an art as painting, music, fashion, and all of your other ideal careers. And analyzing, critiquing, and learning from books may help inspire some of your own work, someday. Who knows? Maybe you’ll have a change of career come to you, no? But besides that, while the school specializes in the arts, we STILL are a middle school. As such, we have to have a diverse curriculum. There will be no slacking off your basic education departments here.” Several students groaned.

 _‘With Chloé’s designs and all of these other students who are probably leagues more talented than me,’_ Marinette frowned, _‘maybe I should consider a backup career… just not sure I want to be a writer, though.’_

“Well, Mme. Bustier,” Alya smirked, “you don’t have to worry about me. I already planned to become a journalist.”

“That’s a great one, Mlle Césaire!” Bustier smiled. “Now, any other questions?”

The chubby girl raised her hand. “Mme. Bustier, how do you already know some people?”

“Oh, easy, Mlle Haprèle,” Bustier replied. “When I first found out who was going to be assigned my homeroom this year, I personally read up on every single one of you, and for those who submitted their entrance portfolios early, d. For example, M. Kurtzberg over there draws tres bien!” The red-haired boy blushed at the praise. “M. Bruel may look intimidating, but he’s actually quite the gentlemen.” The boy with the skull shirt nodded with a soft smile. “I’ve seen pictures of Mlle Couffane that are remarkable… apart from the fact that many of them have the look of being seconds before disaster strikes.”

“...Yeah,” Juleka admitted. “Bad luck.”

“All of you have natural talent, which is why you were all accepted,” Bustier complimented. “But while we nurture this talent within all of you… we also need to teach basic life skills and education. You won’t be able to rely on just talent alone in the real world.” She then finished, “Now… onto the first-day lecture….”

* * *

Several hours of classes later, it was lunchtime, and Marinette found herself wandering the halls towards her assigned locker, where she opened it. _‘Well… a rough start to the morning, but maybe the afternoon has something good ahead of me,’_ she hoped. _‘Perhaps now would be a good time to share some more macarons!’_ She then opened her backpack, and peered inside—

“Mlle Dupain-Cheng,” Bustier interrupted, causing the girl to jump. “Okay, probably should have been less surprising on you, given your… history.” Marinette turned towards her homeroom teacher, and she apologized, “I’m sorry about that. Yes… I know Mlle Bourgeois and you have a rather turbulent history and it's obvious the school board was bribed into allowing you two to be in the same homeroom, but let me be the first to assure you that I will not tolerate bullying of any kind in my class. If I catch her doing anything untoward to you, her father’s connections aside, she will be punished.”

“Oh… okay,” Marinette nodded. “Merci, Mme. Bustier. If that’s all, I should be going….”

“Actually, there was a second reason,” Bustier replied. “As you know, we here at Dupont, as a school that focuses primarily on the arts, do have students make portfolios of their work. And you are among the students whose entry portfolios weren’t submitted by this morning.”

“Oh!” Marinette gasped. _‘Nice going, Clumsinette, you forgot during the “excitement” of your “reunion with Chloé”, to turn it in!’_ She then began to dig into her bag, and apologized, “Je suis désolé, Mme Bustier! I have it right… huh?” She looked at her box of macarons, her lunch, her sketchbook, her overly-filled planner (complete with intervals of when she could hang out with certain friends), and her folder of syllabi… but certainly not her portfolio. “Oh no… did I lose it!? I thought I had it this morning…!”

“It’s not with you right now?” Bustier frowned.

“Wait, don’t expel me!” Marinette begged. “I think… yeah, I had it in the classroom! I pulled it out ready to put it on my desk and turn it in, but then I fell… and I dropped it in your homeroom!”

Minutes later, the half-Chinese girl was looking all over the floor while Bustier watched in mild horror at Marinette turning the classroom upside-down. “Well,” she said aloud while Marinette screamed in French, Chinese, and even ITALIAN, “she’s definitely not lacking energy.” After a few minutes, Marinette approached her, tears of frustration in her eyes. “Well, I suppose it can’t be helped. Come with me, Mlle Dupain-Cheng.”

One shameful walk to the principal’s office later, Marinette sat looking down as she faced an older man with a thick beard, owl-like eyebrows, and full brown suit. _‘I can’t believe I lost my portfolio! And I’m going to be expelled for it!’_ Marinette cried. _‘Au revoir, MDC brand!’_

“Mlle Dupain-Cheng, I presume,” the principal greeted. “You’ve had an interesting first day. Nearly late, police escort, and now, Mme. Bustier is dragging you to my office and it’s not even after dismissal, and a little too late in lunch for detention. I can tell you're going to be a student I'll have to keep an eye on... so what could possibly have earned this?”

“I-I-I lost my entrance portfolio,” Marinette sadly confessed. “I’ll clear out my locker by the end of the day, M. Damocles….”

“That’s a little extreme,” Benard Damocles interjected. “But is this true, Mme. Bustier?”

“I watched her personally tear apart my classroom for it, mousier,” Bustier reported. "No sign of it. What are we going to do?"

“I see,” Damocles said, leaning back in his chair. “And you’re certain you not only completed this portfolio, but you had it ready for submission this morning, but lost it? Was this before or after whatever resulted in the police escort—”

“After,” Marinette answered. “I had it in hand and then I didn’t.”

“Then a check of the security footage is all we need,” Damocles reasoned, pressing a button beneath his desk. The two women stared blankly at the principal as he looked at a monitor that was hidden behind a bookshelf open up. “I’ll review it, but if it turns out you genuinely lost it beyond recovery, we may need a backup plan, Mlle Dupain-Cheng. The five entries of your entrance portfolio are what we compare your progress in your chosen field here at Dupont, and how you improved since your application submission that covered your scholarship here. They are quite make-or-break for your school life. Surely you have something in mind?” He then looked at the two women. “What?”

“When did you have a complex security system installed in your office, M. Damocles?” Bustier asked.

“How long have I been principal?” Damocles asked himself.

“Is this even covered in the budget, let alone legal!?” Bustier continued.

“W-W-W-Well, I do have designs I’ve got prepared for my portfolio on my computer at home,” Marinette interjected. “Some were even a part of my portfolio. However… my printer ran out of ink this morning getting the final drafts squeezed out, so I have to get more.”

“Then hurry up and recreate your portfolio, Mlle Dupain-Cheng,” Damocles replied, regaining his focus. “Either that or find out what happened to the original. I want it on Mme. Bustier’s desk by tomorrow morning’s first period. Otherwise, well… even with the scholarship, I’m afraid you won’t be able to go much further here at Dupont.”

“...Merci, M. Damocles!” Marinette breathed. _‘Okay, a little less than 24 hours, but at least I have time!’_ “I won’t abuse your trust in me!” She then placed a pair of macarons on the desk for the two educators. “Here, have a macaron! Dupain-Cheng special!”

“Good luck, jeune femme,” the principal smiled, allowing her to leave. Bustier still looked at the monitor as it came on, revealing security camera footage.

“Seriously, when did you have time to install this?” the teacher questioned as Damocles popped the macaron in his mouth.

“Oh, I have had an entire secret life nobody here can learn without at least having their ability to speak or write crippled for the rest of their lives. And that’s just the merciful way of keeping my secrets safe.”

“...What!?”

“Don’t dig further than you have to, Bustier,” he warned. Bustier shivered at the threat.

Outside the principal’s office, Alya sat on the bench, messing with her phone. “So, it seems that you’re a trouble magnet, girl,” Alya spoke as Marinette walked by her, making her jump and fall to the ground. “And also jumpy.” She then advised, “Relax, I’m not going to hurt you. You get into trouble with bullies a lot in your day, girl?”

 _‘…I guess years of being Chloé’s favorite victim still haven’t faded,’_ Marinette concluded. _'As well as the girls back in private school....'_ “Je suis désolé.”

“For what?” Alya asked. She then thought about it. “You and those two from this morning have some kind of beef, don’t you? Spill… what did the Mayor’s daughter do to you then flaunt her ‘diplomatic immunity’ with?”

“...She bullied me throughout école primaire,” Marinette admitted. “She called me names like ‘Clumsinette’, wrote hurtful messages in my journals, always went out of her way to one-up me even when I wasn't trying to get the spotlight, took advantage of my bad luck and natural clumsiness to humiliate me in ballet… made me feel ugly.” _'I barely even know this girl, and here I am spilling my guts out to her!? And yet... it feels... right. Why?'_ "Add in the fact that back then, she was allowed to do as she pleased because of her rich parents and she had a posse of students who did whatever their queen bee wanted... I didn't wanna go to the same school that she did, anymore! That's why I've been in a private school these past few years. Not that it was much better...."

“And today, she stole your portfolio with her right-hand girl’s help,” Alya added. Marinette’s eyes widened. “You just now thought about this?”

“Oh, why didn’t I!?” Marinette whined. “Where are Chloé and Sabrina!? I have to find them before—”

“They already went home for lunch,” Alya apologized with a frown. “I doubt either of them will bring it back." She concluded, "I guess that’s why you were in the principal’s office, wasn’t it? And you don’t have any other classes with them for the rest of the day, do you?” Marinette sank, her head lowered. “Hey… we’ll fix this, don’t worry, girl.”

“W-W-Why are you being so nice to me?” Marinette asked. “I don’t really know you.”

“One, I wanted to ask about that superhero battle you mentioned this morning,” Alya answered. “Two, don't know why, but I feel you and I girl has some kind of connection. And three… well, you look like you're an introvert who could use an extra extrovert friend, and I’m new to Paris because my folks had just moved me and the twins here while Nora's in Africa. May as well make the most of it.” She reached for Marinette’s hand, who shyly took it and stood up. “So you really saw a superhero?”

“Um… I think so?” Marinette asked.

“Was it a space koala-dog?” Alya asked. “What about a dragon? A redhead teen spy!? Or maybe even the woman with eight arms!”

“Space koala? Dragon? Spy!? Eight-armed lady!?” _‘What did I MISS went I went to private school!?’_

“No?” Alya frowned. Placing her hand on her chin, she offered, “Maybe Majesta from the United Heroez? Perhaps the first Knightowl? How about Captain Hardrock or Silverjam? I had a feeling Silverjam wasn’t dead!”

 _‘Who are these people?’_ Marinette thought. “Um, he was more of a jade-themed old man,” Marinette offered aloud. “He had a turtle shield that he wore like a hat.”

“Ooh, a new hero,” Alya gushed. “Something like ‘Jade Turtle’. Nice! Who was he fighting? Techno Pirate? King Coalian? Sapphire Knight? Fantôme de la Révolution?”

“I think she called herself Iron Maiden,” Marinette recalled. “She tried to kill me.” Alya’s cheerful expression quickly turned.

“Oh… yeah, that would be rough,” she admitted. “You know, that’s probably why so many superheroes have to be 'careful', nowadays. In these battles, civilians always have the risk of getting caught in the crossfire with collateral damage. However, if the heroes didn’t react to supervillains and criminals terrorizing the populace in the first place, things would be worse... way worse. People forget that, and are quick to write off heroes as vigilantes. Sure, some villains rose to challenge them, but the villains are making the active choice to put lives in danger.”

“…That’s interesting,” Marinette breathed. _‘And true of the man in the turtle outfit.’_ She then gasped, and then said, “Oh, I almost forgot, Alya… would you like a macaron?” She pulled out her box of treats.

“These look pretty good,” Alya complimented. “Did you make these or buy them?”

“My parents own a bakery and helped me make them,” Marinette answered as Alya picked up an orange one and bit into it.

“Mmm… these ARE good,” Alya replied. “Orange sherbert..." She gushed, "If this whole ‘fashion designer’ thing doesn’t work out, girl, you definitely could kill it in this.”

“...Thank you,” Marinette smiled.

“There you are, Mari!” Alix said, walking over with Nino. “Where’ve you been all lunch?”

“We’ve reason to believe Chloé and Sabrina stole her portfolio, and now we’re trying to figure out how to fix this before she gets expelled,” Alya answered. “How did either of you let this happen? Shame on you for being neglectful friends!” Nino and Alix looked at each other.

“Um… sorry… uh, who are you?” Nino asked.

“Alya,” she smirked at him. Placing her hands on her hips with a flirty smirk, she said, “See something you like, boy? Three pretty girls in front of you?” Nino began stuttering and blushing, looking between Marinette, Alix, and Alya. Of the three, Marinette was the only one who blushed.

“You do not hold back, do ya?” Alix laughed. “I like you, Alya! Welcome to our crew!”

“Glad to be a part of it,” Alya replied. “I like warm welcomes.”

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, Iron Maiden and her henchmen were looking over the euros from the bank robbery in their undisclosed hideout. Well, Iron Maiden’s henchmen were, she was scrolling her cell phone for news about it. “Curse those police officers’ poor timing,” Iron Maiden pouted. “I haven’t had a good fight since I took down Silverjam, and yet, here was that turtle-armored man. Had they not pulled around the corner, I could have taken him!”

“Boss, you’re bulletproof,” the wolf-masked henchman replied. “You didn’t have to run… but we did.”

“No, but he would have been all about the ‘prevention of casualties’, and it wouldn’t have been proper sport,” Iron Maiden replied. “Had he shown up before that little girl who got in the way, though… ooh, maybe I can find her, and make her a proper hostage! See if you can find her, boys!”

“What are we going to do with all of these euros, though?” the parrot masked man asked while the horse masked one began a search.

“Oh, stash them with the rest, so we’ll clean it then buy my supplies for my makeup,” Iron Maiden answered. “It’s what makes me invincible, after all. Have to apply it before every good rampage.” All of the sudden, a blue portal opened up behind her, making her and her minions shield their eyes at the brightness.

 **_“I’ve always wondered what was in your makeup, Mlle Chapman,”_ ** a male, modulated voice chimed in. Iron Maiden looked up, and saw walking through the portal what appeared to be a high-tech ancient Egyptian pharaoh in black body armor where the skin would have been exposed, a golden mask with a gold and green headdress, and a neon skirt.

“How dare you walk in on a lady uninvited!” Iron Maiden chastised. “And that outfit… so gaudy and dated. Not to mention neon isn’t a good look on you!”

 **_“...Yep, just as charming at this point in the timeline as you are in my original timeline’s present,”_ ** the man replied. **_“I am The Pharaoh, and I come with an opportunity for you.”_ **

“Wait, did you say you were from the future?” Iron Maiden asked. “Tell me, do I finish off Hardrock’s entire bloodline?”

 **_“That’s seriously what you want to know?”_ ** Pharaoh groaned. **_“You’re not even awed or in fear of my entrance?”_ ** He sighed. **_“Maybe I should kill Hawk Moth in this era just to prove a point.”_ **

“Who is Hawk Moth?” Iron Maiden asked.

 **_“And I’m early,”_ ** Pharaoh realized, looking at the date on the criminals’ computer. **_“He doesn’t start his reign of terror for another week. Oh well, time travel and learn. But who knows, maybe if I act earlier than he does… I’ll get exactly what I want without his interference.”_ ** He then turned to Iron Maiden, and said, **_“Alright, Chapman, I am prepared to offer you a deal.”_ **

“Before we do, does it have anything to do with Hardrock?”

**_“No.”_ **

“Darn it.”

 **_“But… I can offer you the next best thing: an opportunity to destroy a different hero. One while she’s still inexperienced.”_ ** Iron Maiden tilted her head.

“I’m listening.”

 **_“All you have to do to earn her attention is cause some chaos,”_ ** Pharaoh explained. **_“Sooner or later, she’ll come running. Do with her as you please… but there is one thing I ask in return for this information.”_ ** He then pulled out a small disc, and pressed a button on it, revealing a hologram of Alya. **_“This girl right here. I want her alive and preferably undamaged. Can you please bring her to me?”_ **

“Ooh, I get to kill a superhero in her prime, possibly destroy another hero, and traumatize a random girl!” Iron Maiden said. “All to announce my proper comeback to the big leagues! Alright, Mr. Pharaoh… consider me intrigued! But, question: does it have to be ‘random chaos’ I cause? Or can I be a bit more targeted? You see, earlier today, my men and I were in the middle of escaping the police when this half-Chinese girl chucked her helmet at our car, causing us to waste time, and….”

 **_“Oh, I think I know exactly who you’re talking about,”_ ** Pharaoh said, pressing a few buttons on his disc to reveal Marinette. **_“If my history is correct, her name should be Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Her family owns and operates a local bakery-slash-pastry shop.”_ **

“Alright boys,” Iron Maiden said, clapping her hands. “We’re robbing a baker’s street! Just not the one from back home.”

**_“I get it, you’re from Great Britain!”_**

* * *

After school, Marinette walked out of Dupont, looking concerned. _‘I have less than twenty-four hours to redo my entire portfolio,’_ she recounted. _‘Well… at least it’s an easy fix.’_

“Hey,” Alix said as she walked up, holding up her skates, followed by Aurore, “need some help with your portfolio, Mari?”

“I heard everything,” Aurore added. “You lost it or Chloé stole it? This wouldn’t have happened if we were in the same class!”

“It’s alright, Aurore,” Marinette replied. “I just need to get some printer ink and paper, and I’ll be set.”

“Well, at least allow us to help you out,” Alya replied, coming out with Nino and Kim. “I need to learn the city, anyway.”

“There’s a copy shop near _Tom & Sabine’s,” _ Nino added. “We can fix it, there.”

“Well, we can at least stop by the bakery,” Marinette offered. “Thank you, guys.”

“No prob, Marinette,” Nino said.

“Yo, Alix,” Kim offered, “race you to this bakery!” He then charged off, leaving the others standing.

“Kim, you don’t even know where you’re going!” Alix scoffed. She then pulled on her skates and helmet, and said, “See you guys at the bakery!” She then skated off after Kim.

“I know a few shortcuts,” Marinette smiled.

Several minutes later, Marinette’s group arrived at the bakery, with Alix casually eating a victory slice of cake at the table. “Took you guys long enough,” the skater taunted them. “It’s red velvet~”

“Of course,” Marinette smiled. “You all go ahead, okay? I’ll meet you at the copy store, then we can come back and hang out while my portfolio reprints.”

“I’m gonna finish my cake first, but alright,” Alix said.

Marinette then went inside and saw her parents waiting for her with slices of cake prepared. “Bonjour, Papa. Ni-hao, Maman.”

“Bonjour, mon petite lotus,” Tom chuckled as she walked up to him and hugged him. As she let go to hug her mother, he asked, “So, how was your first day of school? Meet anyone new?”

“...Well, a few people,” Marinette answered. “Chloé got in my class.”

Sabine gasped, “No! That jīnfā nǚhái is still heckling you!?”

“What did she say?” Alya asked, poking her head in. “Oh, you must be Marinette’s parents! I thought you were part Chinese, girl!”

 _‘I suppose I really don’t show off my maman’s heritage too much,’_ Marinette confessed to herself, looking at her shirt. “I don’t think I have enough proof, yet, but I think she and Sabrina stole my portfolio, so I have to reprint it.”

“She did what!?” Sabine gasped. “No! Mari, are you going to be okay?”

“Luckily the Principal is a pretty chill man,” Alya chimed in. “I overheard while finishing up grabbing some transfer paperwork my folks forgot about. She has a day to get it done before they consider revoking her scholarship.”

“This is precisely why I don’t vote for her father during election season,” Tom complained. “He lets his morveuse get away with whatever she wants, and has done so for years! Not even mentioning her absent mother.” Turning to Alya, he said, “But enough about our problems. Who are you, jeune femme?”

“Alya Césaire, M. Dupain-Cheng,” Alya smirked.

“It’s just M. Dupain,” Tom corrected. “Mari here is the one with both of our last names….”

As Tom went to talk to Alya, Sabine turned to her daughter with a smile. “I’m glad you finally have a friend besides just Nino, Alix, and Aurore, dear.” She then slyly asked, “Or is it ‘just friends’?”

Marinette innocently asked, “What?” _‘What is Maman talking about?’_

Sabine assured her, “Marinette, don’t worry. I’ll love you regardless of whomever you fancy.”

“Wait, what!?” Marinette replied. She realized what her mom was talking about, blushing, and said, “Maman, no! Alya’s more interested in Nino, given all of the sly looks she’s given him!” _'Definitely bolder than I am... a LOT bolder than I am.'_

“Wǒ yǒngyuǎn bù huì yǐ nǐ yào de sùdù dāng nǎinai,” Sabine silently pouted.

“Māmā, wǒ yě huì shuō pǔtōnghuà,” Marinette retorted. In English, she said, “I’m going to head upstairs to copy my portfolio designs to a USB.” _‘Partially because I don’t trust the Dupain-Cheng bad luck train to come to a complete halt.’_ “Make sure Alya doesn’t wait up, okay?”

“Alright, dear,” Sabine assured her. “But don’t wait too long, alright? That box we saw in your room kind of inspired us to make this cake, and we don’t want it going stale, okay?”

“...What box?” Marinette asked.

* * *

Moments later, Marinette, Sabine, and Tom (after waving goodbye to Alya, the rest of Marinette’s friends, and the late Kim) were staring at a red jewelry box with the Chinese Yin Yang symbol, the Yang filled in, sitting on Marinette’s work desk. “We thought you bought it with your allowance as a celebration that you got into Dupont,” Tom said. "Your mother confirmed it wasn't an ancient heirloom... no offense."

"None taken, dear," Sabine assured him.

“Why were you guys in my room, anyway?” Marinette asked, looking at her parents.

“Xǐyī rì,” Sabine confessed, pointing downstairs where a bunch of laundry was ready to be taken to the nearby laundromat. “Anyway, if you didn’t buy it, that's not an heirloom from my side of the family, and I KNOW we didn’t get you that as your birthday gift… why is it in your room?”

“...I guess we should find out,” Marinette answered. _‘Please don’t be a recording device or a bomb or something stolen.’_ She then nervously reached out, popped open the box, and stared… at a pair of red earrings with black spots. “Huh?” _‘Well, I guess that wasn’t so bad… they’re kind of pret—’_

Marinette, Tom, and Sabine all shielded their eyes as a bright light flashed from the earrings. When it faded, it revealed… a rather small red creature with a big black spot on its massive forehead (the head alone seemed rather big for its body), two more on its cheeks, a pair of folded back antennae, and some winglike tails on the behind.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” the creature began in a female voice, its eyes closed. “You have no reason to be afraid. I am the Kwami of Creation, and I am here to guide you.” She then opened her eyes, revealing them to be blue… and stared at the shocked family, surprised there were three people. “Wait, why are there three of you? Did the Guardian not leave instructions saying to ‘only open when alone’, or…?”

Sabine quickly remembered that while she was searching for Marinette’s laundry and shifting through her daughter’s rush mess, she bumped her head on the bottom of the desk, which caused a random sticky note to fall to the floor. She shrugged, kept cleaning until she spotted the red box.

However, that thought was cut off by Marinette screaming, and backing up. “Ah! Mouse! Bug! Mouse-bug thing!”

“Mullo’s not here,” the creature said, looking around. She was then grabbed by Tom, squeaking. “Ack! Let… go of me! How dare you mistreat a goddess...!?”

“Alright, little talking critter, what’s going on here!?” he questioned. “How do you know my daughter’s name!? And what’s this about ‘guiding her’!?”

“I see we’re breaking some rules, today,” the creature said. She turned towards the freaked out Marinette, and asked, “Um… could you call off your father, please? He and your mother are not even supposed to _know_ I’m here….”

“W-W-Well, you’re not supposed to be in my room, either!” Marinette replied. “What are you doing here!? Are you some kind of tiny alien!? Do aliens exist!?”

“Actually, I’m more ‘magic’ than ‘alien’, but they exist,” the creature replied. “And the box of my Miraculous was placed here by the Guardian, who has chosen you to wield it and my powers.”

“Guardian?” Sabine chimed in. “So, if magic exists, then I take it your ‘Guardian’ is some kind of wizard. But why would he go out of his way to choose a child to wield magic powers without so much as instruction... let alone without consulting her family?”

“Well, for one,” the creature said as she was finally released from Tom’s grip to float in the air, “you two weren’t really supposed to find out, let alone on Day 1. But two, Marinette’s actions earlier today showed she was quick to analyze a situation, improvise a good solution, brave enough to be a hero, and compassionate enough for others that she’d be willing to help a stranger and even stand up for him for no expected reward. In short, a perfect bearer of the powers of a Miraculous, a piece of jewelry that houses the powers of a Kwami.”

Marinette thought about that morning. “Are you talking about the old man who I tried to help when those supervillain bank robbers were recklessly driving down the street, or when I tried to convince the police to not arrest the superhero who saved my life from said supervillain?”

“What!?” both of her parents gasped.

 _‘Oh, I KNEW I forgot something!’_ Marinette frowned, unsure if her parents were horrified for their daughter’s safety or upset that she didn’t tell them about it until now.

“You didn’t just ‘try’,” the creature addressed her. “You succeeded. My guardian has been looking for someone with a character like you for years. And it seems just in time, too. For soon, there will be—”

“Hold on, back up,” Tom said. “Let me get this straight. My daughter risked her life to save a man from getting run over by a supervillain, was almost caught in the crossfire in a superhero battle, and nearly arrested for coming to the aid of the superhero, was probably nearly late to school, had her portfolio stolen, is on the verge of being kicked out of a high-profile arts school, and you and some mysterious wizard want to recruit her for some kind of mission, and you didn’t so much as plan to talk to HER PARENTS about it once?”

The creature frowned. “Yeah, I guess you have a point,” she admitted. “But still, somebody has to wield the Ladybug Miraculous, soon. The Guardian has reason to believe that soon, a person who has another Miraculous will use it to terrorize this city in particular. When it comes to the Miraculouses, normally, the Order of Guardians of that continent would already be on top of that case, hunting down whoever would abuse a Miraculous. However, the European Order’s French branch was long abolished during the French Revolution, the other EU branches have been apparently chased to ground, and the Asian Order was destroyed about five years ago. So, we need to recruit new Guardians… new heroes.” Looking at Marinette in particular, she commented, “You, Marinette, have a beautiful heart and a strong sense of right and wrong, I just know it. Please… you were chosen for a reason. The Guardian who protected my box wouldn’t trust just anyone with a Miraculous, let alone mine.”

“I don’t know if you have the right person, though,” Marinette said. “Heroes are supposed to be brave, strong, confident, beautiful, and seeking what’s best for everyone. They have power and the best sense of responsibility. I’m clumsy, awkward, shy, and meek. Yes, I helped that old man, but as soon as I saw what I was dealing with… I buckled. I was stuck in place. Couldn’t even run. Had that Jade Turtle not shown up, I’d be on the evening news, right now in an obituary. How can I be a hero if I can’t even save myself?”

“Oh my, ‘Jade Turtle’?” the creature giggled. “Well, it fits.” She then got serious, and said, “Well… maybe give it a try? If you don’t want to after a bit, fine, we’ll find a new person to wield the Ladybug. But right now… I’m sure the Guardian would appreciate you attempting to try it. If you don't help me, you may regret it for the rest of your life.”

“...I still don’t know,” Marinette frowned.

**_BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_ **

The bakery, as well as the rest of the street, began rocking. “What in the world!?” Sabine breathed. The three and the little Kwami looked at the nearby balcony skylight that Marinette had access to and headed out on the bakery’s rooftop in time to see Iron Maiden, standing outside of a new car, carrying the hi-tech lightning rifle from earlier. She had it aimed at a random store, where thankfully nobody was hurt by the explosion, but almost everyone on the street was now horrified at the electricity that blew out the chunk of the wall. They started running

“Greetings, people of Paris!” Iron Maiden called. “I was told by an apparent time traveler that I was going to find a new hero, today! Would she care to join me on the street? I would like to get started with my return to the limelight soon! And if she doesn’t, well… I guess I’ll have to keep blowing up buildings, possibly frying hundreds of innocent people, in the meantime.” As if to prove her point, she turned to another building, and blasted it, causing the wall to blow apart.

“She’s going to destroy the entire neighborhood!?” Marinette breathed. “All for fame!?”

“No way,” Alya’s voice interrupted from down below. Everyone looked to see Alya, holding up her cell phone, recording the woman from her, Nino Alix, Kim, and Aurore’s hiding spot near the copy shop, much to the four’s appaulation. “It really IS Iron Maiden, a.k.a., Daisy Chapman! You’re the once-famous UK makeup designer known for experimenting with her makeup so much that it’s basically turned your skin into an impenetrable shield of armor and super strength! However, the side effects of your makeup products caused your entire line to crash due to several lawsuits, leaving you bankrupt and mad, resulting in you committing daring robberies before you got the attention of superheroes. However, instead of being wary of them, you got excited! Especially when you actually once made Majesta, of all people, bleed! You even killed Silverjam, if stories are correct!”

“Dudette, WHY do you know all of that!?” Nino freaked out.

“Journalists have to keep up on superheroes and supervillains,” Alya replied.

“If we live through this, Alya, I might kill you,” Alix snarked.

“Oh, goody!” Iron Maiden squealed. “Not only do you know my reputation, but you’re the other girl I’ve been asked to look for! A proper lady honors her debts, after all!” She then aimed her rifle at Alya, who finally finished processing how screwed she was. “Now dear, I have to insist you come with me. I have a gentleman who traveled who knows how long to meet you. I don’t know why, but it’d be rude to not introduce you.”

 _‘Why is my new friend an idiot!?’_ Marinette asked herself. The fairy-like creature flew up to her, holding up the earrings.

“That may not be what we're supposed to specialize in, and more of a crash course than I’d like, but we have to help!” she insisted. “Otherwise, those kids are going to get hurt, not to mention the street's going to be destroyed!”

“You want me to help!?” Marinette questioned. “I couldn’t stand up to her last time! I’ll be crushed like a bug!”

“Oh Marinette,” the fairy giggled, “you don’t know how hard-shelled ladybugs really are, do you?”

Tom and Sabine looked at the situation down at the street and nodded at each other before turning to Marinette. “Mari, darling,” Sabine instructed, “if this little fairy—”

“Tikki,” the Kwami corrected. “That’s my name, just realized I never gave it.”

“—Is telling the truth, you have to do it. You are brilliant and talented, but you lack courage. And I didn’t teach you some martial arts for no reason.”

“You did, right,” Tom chuckled. “Anyway, lotus, I trust you. And you have to believe in yourself. You may not know if you’re cut out for this hero stuff, but you’ll never know if you don’t try. And you’ll never be able to save your friends if you don’t. Just like how you won’t become a major fashion designer if you don’t take risks. I know you’re scared, but you CAN be brave!”

Marinette sighed. “Alright… Tikki, was it?” Marinette held out her hands and quickly put in the earrings. “So… how do I do this? Do I have time to make an improvised suit, or—?”

“Just say ‘Tikki, Spots On’, when you want to use my power, and it will create a powerful costume based on your heart’s ideal of a hero,” Tikki answered. “And ‘Spots Off’ when you want to recall it… oh, and I’ll guide you from inside the Miraculous, too!”

“...Okay,” Marinette breathed, slipping back into her room. _‘Here goes everything, I guess.’_ “Tikki… **Spots On!”**

* * *

Meanwhile, Iron Maiden’s minions were forcing Alya and the other kids into the car, taking their phones. “So, what now, boss?” the parrot-masked man said. “Back to the hideout for these brats? We ransom them back to their parents for a king’s ransom?”

“Hmm, I suppose,” Iron Maiden frowned. “I guess I'm a little disappointed. I was promised a superhero to fight, and I didn’t get to see her. You go ahead, boys. I’ll vent by blowing up a building or two. Or maybe seven! I did promise to do so if she didn’t show up, after all.” She then turned towards the copy shop Marinette’s friends were going to go to.

“Aw, dude, don’t!” Nino begged. “Mari was really looking forward to going there for her portfolio!”

“Too bad for Marinette, then,” Iron Maiden smirked, aiming for the copy shop with her rifle. “She DID try to thwart my getaway!” She then aimed the charged weapon… only for a red yo-yo with black spots wrap around the barrel, and forced it to the ground as she pulled the trigger.

**_BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!_ **

Iron Maiden went flying from the recoil of the rifle’s barrel firing into the ground, creating a smoking crater where she stood before she crashed into a lamppost, easily snapping it in half before she slammed into the railing with a thud. The five arrested teens starred in shock. Landing gracefully in front of the crater was a girl their age with blackand blue hair with an ahoge, blue eyes behind a red domino mask with black spots, as well as a full red skintight bodysuit with black spots as well, and returning the yo-yo to her hand. Red ribbon-like antennas were holding back her pigtails, fitting the bug theme.

“...Whoa,” Nino breathed, blushing a little.

“Who is that?” Kim questioned.

“Awesome,” Alix said in awe.

“I think we may be saved,” Aurore commented.

“...A new hero,” Alya grinned.

“Let them go right now,” the masked girl demanded from the criminals, who aimed their guns at her. _‘Please,’_ she mentally added, signaling it was Marinette behind the mask.

 **_‘You don’t have to act so nervously,’_ ** Tikki breathed, guiding her from inside the earrings. _**'You're a superhero, now! You've got to show some confidence!'**_

 _‘They still have guns, I have a yo-yo and a fancy magic jumpsuit!’_ Marinette mentally replied. _‘I got lucky for once in my life with that ambush, and it’s about to run out!’_

 **_‘I_ ** **am** _ **the**_ ** _Kwami of good luck. Even if I wasn’t, the Miraculous suits are made of ancient Atlantean fibers, a material that’s pretty much indestructible as long as they don’t have magical-piercing properties, energy weapons, plasma weapons, or aren’t incredibly strong. Kind of explains how Mulan survived fighting invading Mongols back in ancient China. And even if it wasn’t, the Miraculous itself grants you heightened durability and a small healing ability that will make fighting truly dangerous foes later down the line easier.’_ **

_‘Wait, Mulan? Ugh, not now! The suit may be bulletproof, but my uncovered FACE isn’t! I won’t survive getting shot in the head, Tikki!’_

**_‘That’s what the yo-yo’s for,’_** Tikki smirked. **_‘Spin it fast enough, you’ll create a shield capable of shredding bullets.’_** Marinette, deciding to give it a do-or-die shot, spun the yo-yo as the bullets flew at her, indeed blocking all of them, leaving a few shredded in small chunks on the ground.

“Okay, didn’t see that coming,” the horse masked man said, having run out of bullets. “Well, it’s three of us against you, kid!” He and the others then charged her.

 _‘Okay, Marinette, you proved you can block non-energy projectiles,’_ she said to herself. _‘Now, remember maman’s self-defense training…!’_

**_‘You really know self-defense?’_ **

_‘It’s not something I like to brag about, though,’_ Marinette said, avoiding the punches with heightened reflexes. She then grabbed the wolf-masked man’s arm, and flipped him over her shoulder before pirouetting and kicking the parrot-masked man, glad her ballet lessons to help with her coordination was paying off, and grabbing the horseman and landing the heel of her foot in his face, knocking him down. She then turned to the other two, and flung out her yo-yo, wrapping around them, and pulling them towards her where she punched them both across the face, knocking them to the ground. All three were out cold. _‘And… I’m super strong?’_

 **_‘Yep!’_ ** Tikki commented. **_‘Your reflexes are faster, too! So long as you see it com—’_ **

**_WHAMMMMM!_ **

Marinette went flying, landing a few feet behind the car, skidding across the ground, as Iron Maiden panted, holding the broken lamppost in her hand. “Well… that was a surprise,” she said, dropping the lamppost with an obvious thud. “Clever use of my own weapon against me, new little hero! But unfortunately, the impact wasn't quite strong enough to break my makeup.”

“Oh no, our little bug hero!” Aurore gasped, looking at Marinette moaning in pain, attempting to get up.

 **_‘...Yeah, sorry, got too busy being excited at having a partner again, I forgot to look out for you, Marinette,’_ ** Tikki apologized.

 _‘I thought you said I had a healing factor….’_ Marinette protested, getting up. _'I think she just fractured a couple of my ribs!'_

 **_‘It doesn’t stop PAIN from being felt!’_ ** Tikki corrected. **_‘But seeing as none of that was immediately fatal or life-threatening, you’ll be fine in a few seconds. Just healing your ribs… and you’re good to go!’_ **The half-Chinese girl leaped onto the car roof and looked at Iron Maiden.

“So, you must be the one I was promised!” Iron Maiden mused. “Aw… look at you in your adorable red and black jammies! You’re like a little ladybug! Ooh, that’s what I’ll call you: ‘Ladybug’!”

“Seriously?” the newly dubbed Ladybug questioned with a deadpan look.

 **_‘Actually, she’s not wrong to do so,’_ ** Tikki replied. **_‘“Ladybug” is actually a legacy… ever since ancient Egypt, my bearers have gone with it throughout history. Betty Hamilton loved it.”_ **

_‘Elizabeth Hamilton?’_ Ladybug questioned. _‘How OLD are you?’_

 ** _'How old is the known universe?'_** Tikki retorted.

“By the way, red’s a good color on you,” Iron Maiden said, interrupting Ladybug and Tikki’s mental chat. “It’ll hide the blood when I beat you to death with my bare hands.” Ladybug then remembered that she was in the middle of something, especially as Iron Maiden then ran towards her and her friends… that didn’t realize she was their friend.

She quickly wrapped her yo-yo around her friends, and said, “Sorry about this!” before leaping in the air, dragging a screaming Nino and Aurore, a whooping Kim and Alix, and a squealing Alya out of the way of Iron Maiden bringing her fist down on the roof of her car, with so much force the car’s roof caved in with glass flying in the air. Ladybug then landed on the ground and caught her friends in a stack before untangling them.

“Okay, you weren’t kidding about that super-strength,” Nino commented to Alya. Ladybug threw her yo-yo, which harmlessly bounced off Iron Maiden’s skin before she grabbed the yo-yo and pulled Ladybug in and backhanded her into a wall, which cracked on impact. Ladybug moaned in pain while prying herself from the wall. Iron Maiden closed the gap and tried to punch her again, but Ladybug caught her arm and began pushing back against her. When Ladybug punched Iron Maiden in the stomach, she yelped at how hard she was but moved out of the way in time to avoid a counter-attack. She managed to flip the woman and slammed her against the ground, but Iron Maiden, without missing a beat, sat up and flung Ladybug towards the group of kids, who barely avoided her crashing into them.

“And the invulnerability,” Alix grimaced while Ladybug sat up, thankful her healing factor and suit were taking most of the blows. She still wiped off the small bits of blood from her lip, though.

“I know my villains,” Alya smirked.

“Guys,” Aurore commented, “Ladybug’s not looking too good….”

 _‘And we’re sticking with that alias,’_ Ladybug frowned while she panted, realizing she was stuck with the name. “Um, excuse me,” she requested aloud, “could you guys please find somewhere ELSE to hide? I don’t know if I can beat her in a straight-up fight.”

“Oh, right, this is your debut,” Alya chuckled. “Okay, hint at her weakness, just for you, rookie hero: ‘You can hold me when I’m cold, you can’t when I’m hot. When I’m normal, I have properties of both forms. What am I’?”

 **_‘Weird riddle, but this may call for a Lucky Charm, anyway,’_ ** Tikki suggested.

 _‘What’s a “Lucky Charm”?’_ Ladybug asked while Iron Maiden approached her.

 ** _‘I keep forgetting we're doing a crash course,’_** the Kwami remembered. **_‘One part of your real power, and the reason why the Guardian granted you me, is the power of the Lucky Charm. I’ll create an object for you to use. However, once I do… you have a time limit to use it before your transformation ends. Five minutes to be precise.’_**

_‘Five minutes!?’_

**_‘You’re young and inexperienced!’_ ** Tikki replied, **_‘Hopefully that time-limit will be more than enough to figure out how to beat her… I don't think she'll give us time to recharge me.’_ **

_‘All or nothing, huh?’_ Ladybug concluded. “Here goes,” she said allowed. She then screamed, **“Lucky Charm!”** A small wave of red light flowed up from her hands and became a group of ladybugs. The ladybugs then formed together and then dispersed… leaving a red and black spotted rubber hose falling into her hands. “...What.”

“What?” Kim questioned.

"What!?" Alix demanded.

“What?” Iron Maiden asked with a chuckle.

 **_‘That's... all I have, Marinette,’_ ** Tikki said, sounding tired. **_‘Sorry… I’m years out of practice. It’s all… up to you.’_ **

_‘Tikki, no!’_ Ladybug screamed in her head. _‘...She’s not responding. Okay… I’m on my own… guess I have to figure this out fast…!’_ She then avoided another punch from Iron Maiden, which crashed in the wall of a shop, and began quickly scanning the area, almost as if she was looking for inspiration for a dress or suit. It was a technique that she had picked up from years of people-watching and browsing throughout Paris. This allowed her to look for something… anything she could use.

Then she spotted it. Next to the bakery was a tap. And with taps… came water.

She smirked.

Iron Maiden lunged at her again, and she quickly stepped out of the older woman’s way, letting her smash the ground. She then quickly wrapped around her with the yo-yo, circling her a few times, before yanking her up and hogtying the villain. “Oh dear, you KNOW this won’t hold me, right?” Iron Maiden questioned. She began reaching for the cord while Ladybug leaped for the hose tap, quickly attaching her hose Lucky Charm.

“I don’t get it,” Alix commented while Alya, having recovered her phone, was recording Iron Maiden pulling the cord off of her and breaking free. “She plans to hose her down?”

“Exactly,” Alya grinned. Ladybug aimed the hose at Iron Maiden, who was running at her now…

**_PEWWWWWWWWWWWW!_ **

Iron Maiden grimaced as she was blasted with a spray of water from the hose, sputtering. When the spray relented, her makeup was running, leaving her face a rather pale color.

“Oh no,” Iron Maiden gasped, seeing her reflection in a puddle.

“Warning,” Alya reported. “The Chapman brand makeup line, while very durable, to almost everything else, is far from waterproof. In fact, the brand is very hydro-sensitive. A simple rinse is all that’s needed to take it off.” Ladybug smirked, pulling back her yo-yo, and then running at Iron Maiden, fist drew back.

**_WHAM!_ **

With the makeup no longer protecting her, Iron Maiden was vulnerable to a punch to the chin, sending her flying. And due to the fact she was unused to feeling pain atop of Ladybug’s superhuman strength, it was more than enough to knock out the supervillain. Iron Maiden was defeated. Ladybug panted, sighing in victory.

 _‘I… I did it!’_ she breathed. _‘Tikki, I actually did it! I stopped her… oh, right, you’re out. My bad.’_

 **_‘It’s okay,’_ ** Tikki commented. Ladybug looked up in shock. **_‘Still have the Lucky Charm?’_ ** Ladybug looked at the hose. **_‘Good… unhook it, throw it in the air, and call out “Miraculous Ladybug”.’_ **

_‘What?’_ Ladybug thought in her head as she began to unhook the hose.

 **_‘Just trust me,’_ ** the Kwami tiredly yawned. **_‘Then find someplace private to return to normal… then cookies… I swear to me, I haven’t had a good source of chocolate in ages.’_ **

“Nice moves, ‘Ladybug’,” Alya smirked, coming over with her camera. “Alya Césarie, a huge superhero fan, and future professional reporter. Tell me: where did you come from? Why are you here in Paris? Are you friends with the mysterious Jade Turtle who was reported seen earlier today?”

“...I don’t really know the answers, yet,” Ladybug answered, finishing unhooking the hose. “But… this is going to sound a little silly.” She then yelled to the sky as she tossed the hose, **“Miraculous Ladybug!”** The hose then transformed into a swarm of the small beetles, which flew across the street, fixing all of the damage done to the area, making the shops look like they weren’t punched chunks out of, undoing the craters in the ground, even fixing the criminals’ getaway car. The only thing it didn’t fix was the group of unconscious criminals. “Okay, that wasn’t as stupid as I thought it would be,” Ladybug commented.

 **_‘Don’t underestimate the magic of the Kwami of Creation,’_ ** Tikki tiredly smirked. **_‘The Miraculous Ladybug cure uses your Lucky Charm or your yo-yo to undo any damage to the area during a battle… so long as you’re able to do it. However, we can only do it once a transformation, so save it for battles’ end, okay?’_ **

“Wow… you can fix things, too!?’ Alya breathed. “You’re now one of my favorite heroes, ever! I’ve got a huge story! You have to give me an interview, please!”

“No, me!” Aurore begged. “I want to interview you!” Both girls looked at each other.

“How about we collab on this!?” Alya asked. “We’ll split the extra credit!”

“Deal,” Aurore agreed. “I wish Marinette was here to see this! I guess she got really busy in her room… probably is still searching for her designs.”

 _‘That’s not wrong,’_ Ladybug confessed to herself. “Um, well… I’d loved to, but….”

**_BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP!_ **

“Are your earrings beeping, dudette?” Nino asked her, looking at the flashing earrings.

“I just realized that the magic of my earrings is about to run out, and I’d hate to expose my secret identity so soon!” Ladybug interjected. She then wrapped her yo-yo around a nearby pole and yanked herself up. “Bug out!” _'And that's going to be my catchphrase escaping a scene, now, isn't it?'_ She then swung away to find a secluded spot to return to normal. It was at this point that the police showed up.

“Bug girl!” Roger called after her. “You are… under… arrest….” However, she had leaped off a few balconies and evaded him. “...Aw man… that’s three vigilantes today….”

“Three?” Alix asked.

“Oui,” Roger answered. “The turtle man, that cat boy around my daughter, and now the bug girl.” He looked at Iron Maiden, and sighed, “At least we have a consolation prize: the second criminal we've arrested.”

* * *

Ladybug, meanwhile, found a secluded spot behind a dumpster and slipped behind it. “Okay, Tikki… I think we’re alone. How do I… get out of this costume?”

 **_‘Well, three choices,’_ ** Tikki said. **_‘Remove your earrings, say ‘Spots Off’, or, the one that’s easiest this second, wait until the timer—’_ **

At this point, a red aura engulfed Ladybug, and she returned to Marinette, while Tikki popped next to her head. “To run out?” Marinette finished. She then looked at the exhausted Kwami who floated down before landing in her left palm. “...So, disappoint you enough, yet?”

“On the contrary,” the Kwami smirked, “you did SWIMMINGLY for your first day. But… that wasn’t an Akuma.”

“Akuma?” Marinette asked.

“Right,” Tikki commented. Her little stomach grumbled. “Can we… get some chocolate, please, before I explain? I thought I smelled a bakery nearby when I first met you.”

“Oh, that’s my maman and papa’s shop!” Marinette answered.

“You LIVE in a bakery!?” Tikki gasped. **_‘Oh Guardian, you spoiled me!’_ ** “Do you have cookies!? Like chocolate-chip cookies!?”

“Okay, but… why do you want chocolate-chip cookies so badly?” Marinette asked with a giggle.

“We Kwami can easily refuel our powers with virtually any type of food,” Tikki said. “However… we’re notoriously picky tiny gods. And my muse is chocolate.”

 _‘Papa will probably both regret and love this arrangement,’_ Marinette concluded. “Well, let’s just go find a way to get back to the others before they realize I’ve been gone way too long.” She then asked, “So… how do you hide, because something tells me by your reaction to my parents finding out about you says ‘you don’t like people knowing about you’?”

“I can always rest in the Miraculous when you’re in civilian form, but they’ll look spotted like they were for your fight,” Tikki mused. “Or….” She then looked at Marinette’s backpack. “Perfect.” She then slipped into there. “Do you have a purse, by the way?”

“Yeah, but not on me right now,” Marinette said. “I’ll have to start carrying that, then?”

“Yes, please,” Tikki said. “And slip some cookies in it, too.”

* * *

By the time Marinette managed to discreetly get back to her bakery, it was nearly sunset, and Roger was interviewing the kids. She had slipped a couple of cookies in her purse for Tikki, and made her “dramatic entrance”, stumbling out of the bakery. “Sorry I’m late, guys,” she apologized. “Lost my purse, and proceeded to turn my room upside-down looking for it. Then Maman and Papa scolded me, and I had to fix everything… again.”

“Typical,” Alix sighed. “You were so busy, you missed it all.”

“Missed what?” the half-Chinese girl asked.

“This!” Alya smirked, showing her phone the highlights of her fight with Iron Maiden. It was posted on a self-created blog site.

 _‘Is… is that what I looked like!?’_ Marinette screamed in her head. _‘Oh no! It’s on the internet! That means thousands, no, millions of people will have already seen me! Probably around the world! That means they’ll probably figure out I’m a teenage girl who had no idea what she was doing, has no business being a superhero, and probably got so lucky on her first outing she may as well quit now while she’s ahead because she’s clearly not cut out for this! Oh, I can already feel the hate mail coming in! And that’s not even mentioning sooner or later, the police will be knocking down the bakery doors, storming up to my room, and arresting me, having figured out my secret identity! Tikki, why did your Guardian choose me…!?’_

Alya beamed, ignorant of Marinette’s trauma, “I’m already picturing it now: ‘Tales of the Miraculous Ladybug’! Live from the _Ladyblog_ run by Alya Césarie and Aurore Beauréal!”

“Though mainly run by her,” Aurore pointed out. “I’ll do the live camera interviews, she’ll do the behind the scenes stuff!”

“Still Dupain-Cheng,” Roger said, “I’m not surprised to see you once again near a superhero fight. With three vigilantes now in Paris, I have a whole mess of paperwork, and the mayor’s going to be riding me to find a connection and bring at least one of these masked vigilantes in… I’m going to be definitely getting home late to Sabrina for some time, now.”

“Sorry to hear that, Lieutenant Raincomprix,” Marinette winced in sympathy. _‘Although… three, now? I know of Jade Turtle and now me, but… who’s the third?’_

 **_‘Plagg… what did you and your cat do!?’_ ** Tikki asked. **_‘You guys were supposed to be quiet, today! How could you possibly have had as busy of a first outing as we did!?’_ **

Before she could address this, Kim interjected, “So, now that everything’s over… can we go to the copy shop? We still have to get ink for Marinette.”

“Oh, right!” Marinette gasped. “I forgot… I have to go! B-B-Bye, Lieutenant!” She then ran towards the copy shop, awkwardly followed by her schoolmates. Roger sighed.

“I will never understand that girl,” he said to himself.

* * *

“So… good,” Tikki sighed hours later, holding a half-eaten cookie in her tiny hands. After Marinette had gone to the copy shop, she had found out that right before the battle, they had run out of ink to sell, but the owner did agree to print her portfolio entries and allow her to pick them up in the morning (Tikki may or may not have used a small blessing to grant Marinette some form of good luck). She changed into her pajamas-a white and pink polka-dot tank top and blue short shorts-and let her hair down. Now, she and her family sat at their dining room table with the shop closed, where they could finally address the Kwami in the room without a supervillain busting up their street or risk freaking out Marinette's friends.

“If you’re full, now,” Tom said, “I have plenty of questions… Tikki, was it?” The kwami nodded. “So… you’re some kind of tiny goddess, right?"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to make you grovel at my feet and start worshipping me," Tikki assured them. "But I do appreciate offerings in the forms of chocolate."

"Well, I'll appreciate a new taste-tester for my recipes," Tom chuckled. "So, if you're so powerful, why are you bound to a magical pair of earrings?”

“Atlantean wizards made the Miraculouses to allow us Kwami to bless the world,” Tikki answered. “Yes, Atlantis was real, then my counterpart Plagg decided one day it wasn’t after being pushed too far by the Atlantean King and his conquests... he laid hands on one of his Chosen in the past. I kind of miss that place. But Plagg’s a nice cat… lazy, but nice. You have to go out of your way to tick him off.”

“Okay, moving on,” Sabine interjected. “I think my husband is trying to ask is ‘why did this Guardian choose our daughter to be this “champion” or whatever’s going on in the first place’?”

“Oh, I’m finally allowed to explain this,” Tikki said. “Well, long story short, before we were interrupted by that supervillain that had nothing to do with my primary purpose, I was trying to explain the Ladybug is meant to maintain a balance in the Kwami and Miraculouses, the other side being the Cat, the rejected animal of the Zodiac. I am Creation, and Plagg is Destruction. We coexist since Destruction makes way for Creation and Creation yields more ways of Destruction. However, there are at least five other Miraculouses not related to the Zodiac that we look over: the Fox, the Bee, the Turtle, the Peacock, and the Butterfly. The Elementals. However, the Butterfly, Fox, Peacock, and Rabbit Miraculouses were somehow lost… until one day, at least one of those four turned up in the worst possible way."

* * *

_Tikki, years ago, was floating around a young woman in a temple, the woman carrying a dish to the dining hall, passing by the foyer. As the two did so, they heard banging on the door, nearly making the woman drop the bowl with a startled gasp. Tikki floated down into the woman's robe pocket while she freed her hands to open the door. When she did, she saw a soaked man in a tattered cloak, lightning flashing behind him with thunder booming six seconds afterward, holding a butterfly brooch in hand. The woman backed away from him as he slopped inside._

"An outsider arrived at the monastery that served as the Chinese Guardians' headquarters," _Tikki narrated._ "A man who held the Butterfly Miraculous. I didn't catch his face, because we Kwami weren't allowed to be seen by outsiders."

 _The man, after drying off, but refusing to remove his cloak, sat across several elders: the Guardian Council. Tikki and her friend were watching from outside, concern on their face. "Please,"_ _he begged, on his hands and knees. "I need your help. Someone I love... they've been cursed by dark magic I don't understand! She is going to die from the curse!"_

_"That is tragic," one of the elders commented, "but I'm afraid that you are at a simple Buddhist Temple, sir. We cannot help you-" The man cut her off by slapping down a heavy, brown book with primordial writings on the pages._

_"Don't you DARE lie to me!" the man scolded. "I did not come all of this way, not knowing what I was looking for! Those symbols on your monastery match too closely with the characters in this book! You aren't just a group of monks, you're the Chinese Miraculous Guardian Order!" The Guardian Council looked at each other in silence, before turning to the man._

_"You may want to choose your next words carefully, outsider," a male member said. "The fact that you found this temple without being shown it, on purpose mind you, is grounds enough for us to be wary of you. However, if you are attempting to intimidate us by showing us the Grimoire... you have elevated yourself to 'threat'."_

_"And I take it my possession of the Butterfly Miraculous does not help much, either?" the man snarked._

_"Nooroo?" Tikki whispered, causing her friend to look at her._

_"It certainly doesn't help ease their worries," a male voice said, walking past Tikki and her friend and entering the conversation, a cane in his hand. "Please, stranger... calm down. You were saying something about a curse?"_

_"...My love has been afflicted by a damaged Miraculous," the outsider explained. "The power of it has been slowly ravaging her body... and our child was barely able to escape the curse's effect because she shielded him."_

_"My word," the old man breathed. "You have my sympathies, stranger. But what you're asking for... the Miraculouses are not toys. If we granted you this aid you request, the cost would be high. Very high."_

_"I am prepared to pay it if it means my son will grow up with his mother," the stranger vowed. "Whatever your cost, let me assure you, I am good for it."_

_"I'm afraid I'm not sure you understand my meaning," the old man warned. "It's not a physical payment that is being sought-"_

_"What little I'm able to translate suggests that the power of a damaged Miraculous can only be overturned by the power of the Ying and Yang... the Ladybug and the Cat Miraculouses," the outsider interjected. "I would like to either borrow them or request one of you to assist me. Anything you could want in return for this aid to lift this curse, I will pay. I even have the damaged Miraculous in question, as well as a third. I will gladly trade all three of these in exchange for this boon, atop of all of my money as a donation to your cause-"_

_"No," a male voice interrupted. The rest of the council and the stranger looked at the center of the council: the Grandmaster. "Absolutely not. Not only are you in possession of the Miraculouses without being a Guardian, but you have come into the possession of the Grimoire and have translated it, as well as come here, violating our order's secrecy and have the GALL to make demands of us, attempt to bribe us. On their own, they're all great violations of our order's purpose, but together, they are unforgivable. You may think you have the slightest idea of what the Miraculous Wish is capable of, of what it costs, but you don't. Nothing short of the destruction of this Temple will allow me to let the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses leave the temple grounds. I barely tolerate one of those particular Kwamis awake and floating around as is." Tikki and her friend hid again, so as not to draw attention to themselves. "I have a counterproposal, stranger: you return all of the lost Miraculouses in your possession, you return the Grimoire, and you leave vowing to never speak of today ever again... and I spare your miserable life for the acts of sacrilege you have committed."_

_"...So that's it?" the man scoffed. "I come here, begging for your help, trying to return what's lost, and all I ask in return is your assistance in saving the one person in the world who EVER believed in me and rose me from NOTHING... and you cast me out? Let her die?"_

_"If she and you were tampering with the Miraculouses, your wife has already made her bed," the Grandmaster replied. "You can stay for the night, as it is late and storming, but I expect the Miraculouses turned over to Weng Fu by tomorrow morning and you gone by the post-lunch meditation. Once you depart, pray my eyes never lay upon your visage again. Should you still be here, I will assume your refusal of my offer... and I will take action against a threat to my duty. I suggest you take this offer because I will not make it again." The man glowered at the Grandmaster, but grabbed the book and the brooch, storming out, not even bothering to look at the woman or Tikki. He then turned to his other Guardians, and said, "Keep an eye on him."_

"Well, that was unnecessarily cruel," _Sabine_ _pointed out._

"Agreed," _Tikki admitted._ "However, the Grandmaster had a point: the outsider was responding to a curse with more magic he barely understood and was willing to resort to the Wish, the ultimate power of the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses to the point they should NEVER be used by the same person in tandem, to fix it. It has a high price to pay... not that the outsider seemed to CARE." _As her past self and her friend nervously floated/walked after the man, who stumbled towards the guest quarters, Tikki mused,_ "Still... maybe we should have stopped him the second we saw his Butterfly Miraculous still in his possession. Maybe... what happened next would have been avoided. Maybe... Sun Nuan would still be alive...."

_The following morning, Tikki and her friend waited outside of the man's door, conflicted as they heard the murmurings of the other patrons of the temple. Several seemed to support the Grandmaster's decision, while the younger students supported the outsider, calling the Grandmaster's actions and threatened punishment too harsh. Tensions were high amongst the people of the monastery. The woman went to knock, to try to calm the stranger down, to compromise-_

_Only to see the door ajar, and the man with his back turned and surrounded by white butterflies. The woman's eyes widened._

_"Nooroo," the man scowled, causing a white little butterfly Kwami to appear, "you were wrong. The Guardians DIDN'T listen to me. In fact, they're so stubborn to their traditional secrecy, they're willing to let a mother of an innocent four-year-old DIE adhering to it. They may even orphan him."_

_"Master, I apologize... it's been decades since I've been a part of the Chinese Miraculous Box," the creature, Nooroo begged. "Maybe they'll be willing to help, now that they've had a night to mull it over. Perhaps we can reach a compromise-"_

_"I highly doubt that as long as their Grandmaster stands in the way of things, there will ever BE a compromise," the man replied. "We tried your way, and it didn't work. And if I simply leave to pursue other means, these arrogant monks will pursue me to the ends of the Earth, no matter my intentions. As long as this order exists, my wife will never know peace... and my son may be in danger from them. To protect my family... Nooroo, **Dark** **Wings Rise!"**_

“Let me guess: this is a supervillain origin story?” _Tom summed up as the man was wrapped in a white and purple aura, similar to Ladybug's red and black._

"Yeah, pretty much," _Tikki confessed._

_When the man turned to the woman, she was starring at a man with a full-facial purple mask, purple and white suit, and a long butterfly cane. Four butterflies, having turned purple, then swarmed out past the woman, and flew towards the temple's occupants that had sided with him, possessing them through objects in their hands. Standing in the possessed's place were now four heavily armored knights, all clad in white. **"Attention, White Vanguard: I am Hawk Moth. And I am here to offer you a deal. The Guardian Council has created this schism. I feel they need to be removed, and I can offer you the power to make that happen. However... I do have a request of my own. I request the Miraculouses of the Ladybug and Cat! Bring them to me!"**_

_The knights all turned towards their former comrades, the ones who supported the Grandmaster's decision and lunged at them with weapons drawn. The woman, realizing what was happening, cupped Tikki into her hands, and ran, finding the Guardian who was gentler with Hawk Moth, a small turtle-like Kwami with him._

_"What's happening?" the old man asked the woman. The woman then took off a pair of earrings... red with black spots. She placed them in his hand, as well as Tikki._

_"Go," she answered, tears in her eyes, right before Tikki disappeared into the Miraculous._

* * *

"And that's everything I can remember,” Tikki finished. “When the Guardian activated me after the fact, the temple was destroyed, several Guardians including the Grandmaster had fallen... and Sun Nuan was gone. She was the last Ladybug before you... and I don't think she made it.”

“Oh my god,” Marinette breathed. “Tikki, I’m so sorry….”

“It’s alright,” Tikki answered. “I appreciate your concern, but… I’ve had years to mourn. Ten, to be precise. You kind of look just her, you know? Just black and blue instead of black and red.” Marinette half-smiled at the comment. She then grew firm, and said, “Anyway, I take it that by my Guardian being willing to allow both me and Plagg to be in play, it means that the Butterfly Miraculous-user has been tracked down and the balance threatened, but since he’s over a century old, he’s nowhere near as capable of defeating him, and with no Guardian order in Europe, he had to outsource to you, Marinette. You have proven yourself capable today. Your job, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, will be to find this man, and stop his champions, the Akumas, take his Miraculous and protect the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses from falling into the wrong hands. These Akumas will appear as black and purple butterflies. You must capture them in your yo-yo as Ladybug, to purify them so that’s one less soldier in his ranks. They will possess random objects and force their holders to submit to this man’s schemes, and these objects must be broken to release the Akuma. He once may have had his reasons, but he made the irredeemable choice to destroy the entire Chinese Guardian Order, killing several innocent apprentices, my last Chosen included, because of the actions of one. He will not hesitate to harm innocent people to obtain them at all costs, and without a wielder of the Ladybug, we won’t be able to. Please, Marinette: you’re my only hope. You’re Paris’ only hope. Quite possibly the world’s only hope if his ambitions have grown since then.”

Marinette frowned at the little Kwami. She then looked at her parents. _‘I don’t know if I’m cut out for this life… I’m clumsy, awkward, and at the rate, I’m going, I’m barely able to stay in art school! I won’t be able to face being a hero atop of keeping my school life as well… maybe I should have stayed in private school…! I can’t protect the city on my own…!’_

“You won’t be on your own,” Tom said, almost sensing his daughter’s thoughts. “We’ll be here supporting you in our own way. I’m sure Maman’s got some old earpieces or two from her days in the Italian secret service before she met Papa. And your Maman’s quite the skilled martial artist, so you have her training you.”

“There are some moves you can brush up on,” Sabine offered.

“Actually,” Tikki said, “I was going to say you have a partner with this planned, Marinette. The Cat Miraculous’s current holder, which allows him to destroy anything, thus making it easier to free the Akumas… who shouldn’t have shown up today, but for some reason, he did.”

“Eh, right… the cat boy,” Marinette commented. “The one Lieutenant Raincomprix said he failed to arrest. Wonder who he is?”

“Even if I knew,” Tikki replied, “I’m afraid that’s classified. Only the Guardian is allowed to know his chosen Miraculous user’s secret identities outside of the order. Not even other chosen are supposed to know each other's identities. However, you chose to open my box in front of your parents, so that rule for you was thrown out. Not something I would have liked, but it’s too late to help it barring amnesia magic, and I really don't want to do that.”

“Sorry about that,” Sabine apologized. “But still, huānyíng lái dào wǒmen de jiārén Tikki.” She rubbed the little Kwami on her head.

“Zhèng nǚshì, wǒ hěn gāoxìng néng cānyù qízhōng,” Tikki replied with a giggle.

“Your Mandarin is incredible,” Marinette breathed.

“Kwamis can speak and read any known language,” Tikki explained. “But Primordial was my first. Anyway, Marinette… please give this trial run a few more days, alright?”

“I suppose I can,” Marinette concluded, looking at her phone, showing Alya and Aurore’s new website, _The Ladyblog_. “‘The Miraculous Ladybug’, huh? Or ‘Ladybug’ for short.” She then looked at her room with a folder. “I only hope whoever has the Butterfly Miraculous probably didn’t find out about my sloppy first outing so easily.”

* * *

Meanwhile, on a plane, a tall man was watching the video. “Really?” he frowned, looking at it. “Before I could even get home, this happened? Rather simple costume and movements, but… she’s a decent start as far as first outings are concerned. Needs more flair though.” He then got a call and picked up the phone. “Nathalie, you caught me just in time before the flight takes off. Have you seen this video originating in Paris?”

 _“You mean the one about the girl in red wearing the polka dots?”_ a female voice asked. _“Yes, sir. A group of children around your son’s age uploaded it. Calling her ‘Miraculous Ladybug’. Speaking of your son, sir, he was wondering how your trip to Egypt went.”_

“Same as the last few international trips I’ve done,” he answered. He then frowned, and asked, “Nathalie, be honest: am I a terrible father?”

 _“Considering you’ve spent most of your son’s childhood globe-trotting to various locations to promote your work, you’ve only allowed him friends with a few select individuals, you’ve blocked his aunt and cousin from his life, you have me homeschooling him, and you’ve been incredibly emotionally distant to him in the brief times you’ve been home, you’re not winning ‘Père de l'année’ anytime soon, for certain. You’ve become even more distant, sir, since last year when your wife died.”_ He clenched his armrest but relaxed soon enough.

“Well, that’s going to change,” he replied. “My constant trips, at least. I have someplace I need to be: home.”

 _“Good to know, sir,”_ his secretary answered. _“So, anyway, your son approached me earlier: and so far, he made a few good points. Why can’t he have more friends his age? He’s 14, for god’s sake. At the rate he’s going, he’ll be emotionally and socially stunted for the rest of his life. If we want to reverse the damage while we can, you have to make a few changes.”_

“So what do you want me to change?” the man questioned.

_“Well… remember his childhood friend whom once upon a time, you wanted to make an arranged marriage with? She goes to a public school with people his age, and the school has a major boon in the arts and entertainment industry. He could actually learn how to be a normal kid AND still contribute to your industry with his modeling career. Not to mention if you allow him to enroll, you could possibly start scouting potential talent WHILE still staying in your son’s good graces.”_

He frowned at the commentary. On one hand, he was reluctant to allow his lineage to associate with just ANYONE. He knew his son was famous since he was a model and he himself was a major mogul in the fashion industry. His sone was very popular among teens (especially girls), and with his “stunted social life”, he was naive and would be easily taken advantage of. Not to mention the scandal any misbehavior or incidents his son could bring him, which may dig up a LOT more dirt than he’d like to risk airing. However, Nathalie did bring up several good points… at least enough that he didn’t shoot the idea down right now. His line would need more models, designers, advertisers if he wanted to keep his “day job” popular enough that people didn’t dig where they shouldn’t. Not to mention his son’s popularity would also grant HIM influence over the public… and potentially, an extra set of eyes on the youth (if his son was fully in on his movements, he’d make a great potential spy). And the youth was susceptible to letting their emotions flow….

Exactly what he needed for his “night job”. Perhaps this could work out.

“Very well, but he best prove himself with his education,” he relented. “If I catch him slipping, it’s back to private school until he passes collège. Don’t make me regret allowing this, Nathalie.”

 _“I won’t sir,”_ she said. _“How soon will you be returning?”_

He adjusted his butterfly brooch and smiled. “My flight will land tomorrow morning. From there, after recovering… I have work to do.” He then watched as a red-haired young man pass by on his way to economy class, not even paying him any attention. He raised an eyebrow and spotted the man holding a case in one hand, and a notebook in another. “What are those for, young man?”

“Oh, sorry,” the younger man replied. “Didn’t see you there, Monsieur. I’m an archaeologist, and I’m heading back to the Louvre tomorrow to meet with my father… I have a lot of work ahead of me. Something that happened today, which matched up with something I discovered in Egypt, and it can’t be a coincidence! He and my sister have always doubted my brilliance, but now? Not even Pierre can mock me! Not when his own ‘beloved, normal daughter’ was nearly caught in the crossfire!” He turned away, heading to find his seat, leaving the older man sighing.

“Okay, strange man,” he mused. He then pulled out his phone again, writing in his notes. “Note to self: find out his name from the Louvre staff, and never go for him. Ever.”

Meanwhile, the younger man sat down and peeked at his notebook, which had several notes of roughly copied hieroglyphics. However, in the hieroglyphics was a picture of a red and black-clad woman standing in front of a woman with a beauty mark on her forehead standing against an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh. The man smirked. “She’s back… the Ladybug has returned, and with her, the next reincarnation of Farida. Soon, my queen….” His eyes then glowed a green glow. “Soon, I will hold you again. And the world will be ours…!”

“Hey, keep it down!” one mother of three scolded, causing his eyes to return to normal. “We have a long flight ahead of us! I’d rather sleep now than experience jetlag getting my kids home!” The young man groaned, sitting back.

“I’m not going to monologue, am I?” he grumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, Marinette's mind is very active. In fact, a LOT of the Miraculous-users throughout the series are going to be having some thoughts, but Mariette's the one who will probably have the least first-person smart-aleck persona. Yeah, ADRIEN is going to be more internally snarky than she is, since she's a worrywart!
> 
> While I DO have Chloe being Marinette's civilian foil right now (and Lila's not going to be until Season 2 with an exciting role, don't ask for her sooner), she's not going to be completely insufferable. Sooner or later, she's going to actually see the damage she is capable of inflicting like a normal person and be forced to choke down some hard-to-swallow pills, rich family aside (and her family issues are going to be at the forefront, with her having to cope). Also, considering we have a time-traveling superheroine in the form of Bunnyx, kind of a waste to NOT use her abilities as potential to redeem Chloe. I know, poor misuse of time travel, but the way I see canon right now, the future Team Miraculous can't happen as long as Hawk Moth knows the secret identities of everybody but the founding two members and Bunnyx (a.k.a. the Dupont gang and Luka), which he only learned because Chloe's presented as the deconstruction of the Token Anti-Hero Teammate, and she was the easiest to corrupt. Here, she starts out as the entitled brat who's at best aloof to anyone not firmly in her small inner circle (Sabrina on her best days, Rose whom almost nobody can hate, Juleka since she ignores her, and Adrien for obvious reasons) and at worst antagonistic to people she's jealous of (Marinette, Alix, and Alya), the former because she ACTUALLY admits Marinette's naturally talented, and the latter duo for fierce no-nonsense attitude and mutual assertive personality clashes)... but my goal is to do what Tom and his team refused to and fully redeem Chloe in a believable manner, and someone WORTHY of the Bee Miraculous in time.
> 
> Now, as you have probably seen in the tags, I'm using both original villains and heroes, giving some Adaptational Heroism and Villainy here and there, and promoting Pharaoh to Big Bad status. Yeah, I don't know why, but Pharaoh was one of my favorite Season 1 Akumas (partially because of the fact that he added some potential mythos to the Miraculous universe that hasn't been fully explored), and I figured, "What if this guy came back but as his OWN character rather than just another minion of Hawk Moth's with godlike powers and magi-tech?" In short, something to experiment with and could world-build. However, as I said, Hawk Moth won't just be content to watch Pharaoh run train all season. Nope, he'll be causing chaos himself with his Akumas... and unlike his canon self, lampshades how he's using his own son as an unknowing spy for moments of weakness in the teen population of Paris.
> 
> Probably the BIGGEST change here: Marinette's parents KNOW she's Ladybug, here. Call me out on this whole Arrowverse-level nonsense if you'd like (because let's be real, Marinette's family knowing about Tikki and her superhero identity is kind of risky business), but I realized that no way would Marinette's family, as warm as they are, NOT notice her running off to engage in teenage heroics sooner or later. It's just, in this universe, they're slightly able to help. Enter Lupin and Peony, Ladybug's "guy in the chair" and "combat mentor", respectively.
> 
> Another noteworthy change is the fact that Alya and Aurore both co-run the Ladyblog, which has gotten its start much earlier. While it's believable a single teen could run a superhero news blog, I've decided to give Aurore slightly more presence since she and Marinette know each other better in this continuity. She's not going to be replacing Alya as Marinette's best reporter friend, but she and Alya are going to collaborate, make the Ladyblog that much more impressive than canon.
> 
> Finally, Damocles. Yeah, while he's still capable of being funny, he's more of an Adam West approach to an iconic character. Make of that what you will.


End file.
